Seolleung bar for two with five-spice sliced meat: Mirim Yangjang

The Seolleung station area is packed with offices, so naturally you end up looking for a good spot for a company dinner or a casual drink with coworkers you actually like.

Instead of the usual samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) place or some ordinary restaurant, I went looking for somewhere with slightly more refined food where you could still chat comfortably — and that's how I ended up here.

So I visited a Seolleung restaurant that keeps coming up as a clean spot for after-work dinners or meetups near Seolleung station: Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch.

Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch hours and how to book

Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch is open from 12:00 PM to 2:00 AM, with last order at 1:00 AM. You can reserve through Naver or via table order.

• Hours: 12:00 PM–2:00 AM (last order: 1:00 AM)
• Reservations available via Naver or table order
• Half Peking duck / Ohyangjangyuk / Alcohol and drinks

Their signature dish, Peking duck, is a traditional Chinese dish made by drying a prepared duck for a long time before roasting it in a wood-fired oven. It's best known as the Chinese dish where the crispy roasted duck skin and mild meat are wrapped in a thin flour pancake along with scallion strips, cucumber, and sauce.

What Mirim Yangjang looks like inside: Hong Kong mood in a Gangnam basement

Walking in, the first thing I noticed was the calm, deep wood-toned interior that captures that distinct Hong Kong feel.

The lighting wasn't overly dark but cozy enough to give the whole space a stable, relaxed mood. Forgiving lighting for when your face gets red from drinking… haha.

On one side of the open kitchen, you can actually see the Peking duck hanging in the wood-fired oven, which made for a fun little browse before the food arrived.

Seating layout and tips for two people

Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch has fairly spacious hall seating, with group tables toward the back — it looked like a good fit for a clean Gangnam company dinner. There were guests already seated so I couldn't get a photo, but it looked like there were room tables too.

By evening, the place filled with office workers grabbing a drink after work, giving it that comfortable Seolleung bar feel. The staff were busy but stayed calm and friendly throughout, so the whole meal felt easy.

I'd definitely recommend booking ahead, though. It fills up fast!

Ohyangjangyuk (five-spice sliced meat): light spice, clean and cool

Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch's ohyangjangyuk (five-spice sliced meat) arrived with thinly sliced meat topped with julienned cucumber and a clear soy sauce. The spice fragrance was subtle rather than overpowering, so it was easy to enjoy without any gamey aftertaste.

It had a slightly exotic but still very approachable flavor for Korean palates. The cool cucumber and salty sauce paired well with the meat, leaving a clean finish.

Not overpowering but easy to pick at, it's a solid Seolleung bar dish to pair with a cold beer or highball.

Half Peking duck: lean meat and crisp skin for two

The half Peking duck served at our table came with both skin and meat. The skin, tasted first, had just the right amount of rendered fat — crispy and savory — while the meat underneath was tender and mild, not dry at all.

Ordering a whole duck as a pair could feel like too much, both in portion and price, so being able to order by the half was a reasonable way to enjoy it lightly on the way home from work.

Thin, chewy pancakes and savory sweet bean sauce

The flour pancake (yabing) that comes with the Peking duck is steamed much thinner and softer than dumpling wrappers, so when you wrap it around the duck and vegetables, it doesn't taste too floury and adds a nice steady chewiness.

The dark red sauce served alongside was sweet and salty with a great savory depth — turns out it's based on 'tianmianjiang' (sweet bean sauce), a traditional Chinese fermented flour-and-soybean paste, once I looked it up.

Placing a piece of duck, crunchy cucumber strips, and pungent scallion strips on the pancake with a touch of this sweet bean sauce made all the ingredients taste clean, without any greasiness.

Mirim Yangjang Seolleung Branch in one line

A Seolleung Chinese restaurant good for an easy after-work drink, with mild half-portion Peking duck, chewy pancakes and sweet bean sauce, and clean ohyangjangyuk.

It was a satisfying Gangnam restaurant with a tidy, unpretentious menu and solid, consistent flavors.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a Seolleung bar for a relaxed drink and chat after work in an uncomplicated setting, or considering it for a small Seolleung company dinner or a Seolleung station restaurant recommendation.

With Peking duck you can enjoy without pressure by ordering the half portion, plus tidy cooking overall, I think I'll happily come back for the next after-work gathering.